Drier



E. KEMPF DRIER Filed April 11, 1939 Nov. 12, 1940.

Y 4 sheets-$11661 1 1940- E. KEMPF 2,221,351

DRIER Filed April 11, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 4' 55 9 7 4 W 9 i IQ'LYL I z 49 9- E L g; 50

- Elmer [fem];

E. KEMPF 2,221,351 I DRIER I Nov. 12, 1940.

Filed April 11, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 Nov. 12, 1940.

E. KEMPF DRIER Filed A rii 11, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 EZmer [f Patented Nov. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE uma Elmer Kcmpf, Cleveland, Ohio Application April 11, 1939, Serial No. 267,299 1 Claims. (or. 34-28) This invention relates to the class of driers and pertains particularly to an improved drier structure which is designed primarily for the drying of clothing or other articles after the same have been laundered.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a drier structure for clothes or other articles wherein such articles are subjected to the effects or action of ultra-violet rays during the course of the drying operation whereby the articles will not only be dried, but will be sterilized by such rays, and thus they will be benefited to the same extent when dried within this drying mechanism as would be the caselif dried in the sunshine according to the usual procedure.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved drying cabinet for clothes and other laundered articles in which novel means is provided for supporting such articles during the drying operation whereby each article will be completely exposed and subjected to the action of rays issuing from ultra-violet lights which are placed within .and form a 'part of the cabinet structure, I

Still another object of the invention is to provide in a drying-cabinet of the character described, a novel means for mounting heating units and sun lamps or ultra-violet ray lamps whereby such lamps may be conveniently removed or inserted either singly or in groups and whereby the heating action of the lamps together with the ultra-violet ray producing action will effect the simultaneous drying and sterilizing of laundered articles placed in the cabinet and within the paths of the heating and ultraviolet light rays.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved cabinet structure for the p rpose described, wherein a novel method of construct ing the side walls of the cabinet is employed, which facilitates increasing or decreasing the size of the cabinet as may be desired, without ailecting the construction or relative positions of the other units of the structure.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a drying cabinet of the type described, a novel lamp supporting unit by means of which a group of lamps may be mounted in each corner of the cabinet in position to project the light and heat rays toward an article supporting structure disposed centrally within the cabinet.

Still another object of the invention is to provide in a cabinet of thetype described, a novel means for circulating air in the cabinet whereby salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended'claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a drier 15 constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view of one side thereof showing the switch and transformer boxes and air outlet means. r

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on a plane passing from the front to the back of the cabinet.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a-horizontal section taken'on the line 5-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6-8 of Fig. 4, with the central portion of the structure broken away. 30

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 'l'l of Fig. 4. I

I Fig. 8 is a view in elevation of a corner reflector, the central portion of which is transversely broken out. 35

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig, 8.

Fig. 10 is a view illustrating a portion of the center post in elevation with the upper and lower ends in section showing the bearing connections therefor.

Fig. 11 is a section on line l|-ll Fig. 12 is a section on line l2-l2 of Fig. 5.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be seenthat the drier embodying the present invention is in the form of a rectangular cabinet having the front and back walls I and 2, respectively, and side walls 3, and these four vertical walls are joined together by the top and hottom'walls 4 and 5, respectively. The latter walls may be of ordinary flat sheet metal of suitable weight, having inturned edge flanges by which they may be secured or coupled to the vertical walls. The vertical walls are of novel form whichpermits of the changing of the width and depth of the cabinet as may be desired or,'by the use 40 of Fig. 10.

of standard corner sections or clips together with intermediate sections or clips, permits of the construction of a cabinet of any desired size merely by selecting certain panels of a desired width and length which are coupled together by such cli s. 1

it each vertical corner of the cabinet there is provided a right angled corner clip which is indicated generally by the numeral 6. Each lonl0 gitudinal edge of such corner clip is bent to provide the longitudinally extending edge slot 1. As will be readily seen from Fig. 5, these longitudinal edge slots for the two right angularly related portions of each corner angle or clip, are formed by bending in a portion of the material which is flattened against the main body thereof and by then reversely bending the material to extend in spaced parallel relation with the first inbent portion, thus providing the channel I, the inner side of which projects slightly beyond the outer side edge to form the longitudinal lip 3.

For the formation of the front wall of the cabinet 2 opposed channels I of the front corner clips are connected by the flat sheet metal panel 9 to form the complete front wall. The back wall is made up of a pair of panels l0, each of which has one longitudinal edge engaged in a slot 1 of a back cornerclip and between these two panels I! is a center clip II which has its ion- 80 gitudinal edge portions bent or folded in the manner shown to provide the oppositely directed channels l2 in which the opposed edges of the back panels l0 frictionally engage. The panel 9 is connected to the corner clips by, inserting its longitudinal edges into the opposed channels I of the clips, thereby forming a tight frictional joint and, if desired, securing members may be passed through the paneland through the lips 3 of the channels which lie against the inner 4,. sides of the panel.

The side walls 3 of the cabinet are made up in a similar manner to the front and back walls, except that each side wall has a single central panel I3, the vertical side edges of which are 6 frictionally engaged in the channels or slots 1 of the front and rear corner clips, as illustrated. The top and bottom walls 4 and 3 may have the inturned flanges thereof engaged against and secured to the inner faces of the front, back and 60 side wall panels or may engage over the outer sides of the same, as may be found most desirable in the construction of the cabinet.

The front wall panel 9 is provided with a doorway or opening 14 and secured to each -ertical edge of the opening by means of hinges I5 is a door I6. These doors coact to completely close the opening l4, as shown, and they are provided with a latching means 11 whereby they may be temporarily secured together and also with a hasp and staple unit l8 which permits of the application of a lock to the doors.

Each door is provided with a glass window l9 whereby the progress of the drying operation within the cabinet may be watched:

In the lower part of the cabinet there is disposed the horizontal frame 20 which is supported upon suitable legs or feet 2|, and within this frame is secured a screen 22. The central part of the screen is provided with an opening 7 23 for the purpose hereinafter described, and

each corner of the frame 23 has secured thereacross a plate 24 provided with a slot 25. Mounted upo'n'the top of the frame 20 along each side are sockets 26 in which may be placed ultraviolet ray bulbs or the threaded supporting bases 1 .in the socketsprovided therefor, as hereinafter for the usual well known coiled electrical resistance heaters.- These sockets are shown as having heat units or resistance heaters mounted therein, as indicated at 21, but it is, of course, to be understood that ultra-violet ray lamps may be 5 used in place of these heaters, if desired, or heaters and bulbs may be used together on the frame as well as in other parts of the cabinetdescribed.

Mounted upon the bottom of the cabinet beneath the screen is an electric motor 23, the shaft 29 of which is coupled with a suitable speed reduction gearing mechanism which is generally indicated by the numeral 30 and which is oper- 15 atively coupled with a platform 3! which turns on a vertical axis. No detailed showing of the speed reduction mechanism has been made as such mechanism may be 'of any standard type and the construction of such mechanisms is well 26 known. The central part of the rotary platform 3| lies beneath the screen opening 23 and sup-' ported upon this platform for rotation concentrically therewith is a ratchet gear 32 which is engaged by a pawl 33 which is secured to the 25 platform at: the periphery of the gearand through the medium of which rotary motion is transferred from the platform to the gear.

Disposed vertically within the cabinet is a post 34, the lower end of which passes through the screen opening 23 and is supported upon and secured to the ratchet gear 32. The upper end of this post is connected by a suitable end bearing 35 with the 1 top wall 4 of the cabinet. Thus when the motor 23 is energized, rotary motion 35 will be transferred from the platform 3| to the ratchet gear 32,. and this will turn the post 34. When the motor is not running, the post may be turned independently of the platform 3 I, this being possible by eason of the ratchet and pawl connection between the post and platform.

Ex tending throughout the length of the post 34 and disposed spirally thereabout are the series of horizontal bars 36 which are employed for supporting articles of clothing or other articles 5 which have been laundered and which are placed in the cabinet to be dried. By arranging the bars in this manner, a large number of articles may be suspended around the post and each will hang free and independently of those above and 50 below it.

At one side of the cabinet, the side wall panel I3. is provided with an air intake opening 31, this opening being adjacent the bottom of the cabinet, as shown, and mounted within the cab- 55 inet in front of this opening is an-air circulating fan 38 which when in operation, draws air into the cabinet for circulation therethrough as hereinafter described.

The bottom 5 of the cabinet has disposed transversely thereof, within the cabinet, the upwardly turned baiiles 39 which are of progressively increasing height from the side of the cabinet on which the fan is located, to the opposite sidethereof, the two baffles furthest removed from 55 the fan being divided into two portions so as to provide a central area for the motor and speed reduction mechanism.

Upon the side ofrithe cabinet opposite from the fan 38 there is a vertically extending air channel 7 or vent 40 which has an air inlet opening 4i adjacent its lower end while at its upper end it is in communication with an air discharge opening 42 which is formed through the upper part of the adjacent side wall panel l3. Thus when 75 the fan .38 is operating, air will be drawn in and deflected upwardly into the cabinet by the battles 39 and while there will not be maintained a circulation of air through the upper part of the cabinet, this movement of air in the lower part will keep the air in the upper part of the cabinet moving so that it will be constantly changing, and thus no dead air pockets will be formed. This will tend to prevent the rapid dissipation of the heat from the cabinet so that the air therein will absorb a maximum of moisture from the articles being dried.

The top wall 4 of the cabinet at each corner and directlyabove the slot 25 formed in the underlying angle plate 24, is provided with an opening or slot 43.

Disposed within each corner of the cabinet is a combined lamp base supporting plate and reflector unit which is indicated generally by the numeral 44 and which has a tongue-like extension 45 at each end, the upper one of which passes through the top wall opening 43 while the lower one extends through the slot 25, the unit being supported upon the underlying angle plate 24. Each of these units has a longitudinally extending edge wing 48 which, when the plate is disposed across the corner of the cabinet,

lies against an adjacent wall or side of the angle clip. There is thus provided a longitudinal reflector, the inner face of which is suitably polished, and secured longitudinally of the unit 44 at thecentral part thereof, is a series of electric light bulb sockets or bases 4'! in'each of which is mounted a sun lamp or ultra-violet ray bulb 48 or, if desired, certain of these sockets may have electrical resistance heating units mounted therein.

In addition to the electrical units disposed around the interior of the cabinet adjacent the bottom thereof and the units disposed vertically in the corners of the cabinet, the top wall may have secured to the inner side thereof the sockets 49 of the same type as those indicated at 25 and 41, so that sun lamps or heating units may be mounted in the top of the cabinet as well as in the bottom and in the corners, these top sockets, however, being shown with heat units!!! therein.

At one side of the cabinet structure there are mounted upon the outer side of the wall, the two boxes 5| and 52, which serve respectively as switch and transformer boxes. By placing suitable control switches in the box 5! and placing in the box 52 the transformer units necessary for the operation of ultra-violet ray lamps or resistance heating units, all of the mechanism necessary for the control and operation of the drier structure may be made an integral part thereof. No

wiring diagram has been shown for the motor and lamp or heater unit sockets as such circuits may be readily worked out by any electrician and the particular form of the circuits employed forms no part of the present invention.

In order that access may be conveniently had to the interior of the cabinet for the installation or replacement of bulbs or heater units, a panel of each side wall may be provided with a door 53 which can be opened from the outside of the cabinet so that such units may be readily mounted or removed.

From the foregoing, it will be readily apparent that there has been provided in the present disclosure a novel compact drier cabinet which will provide all of the elements for drying and sterilizing laundered articles, which are provided by the sun's rays when such articles are placed out of v 3 doors for drying. With this cabinet, articles of clothing may be readily dried indoors during rainy or cloudy weather and the action of theultraviolet rays upon the articles will sterilize the same so as to prevent any souring or development of mold, thus obtaining the same results in the drying of the articles as would be obtained if they are dried in the sunshine.

What is claimed is:

1. A drying structure of the character de-- scribed, comprising a cabinet having a door opening in one wall, a door for closing said opening, a post disposed vertically within the cabinet, means for supportng articles to be dried on said post, a plurality of vertically arranged reflectors within the cabinet directed toward said post, electrically operated ray producing means disposed before said reflectors whereby the rays produced will be directed by the reflectors toward articles supported on the post, power means within the cabinet connected with said post to form.

a positive driving connection therewith for turn- I ing the post in one direction on its long axis, and means facilitating turning the post in the said direction independently of said power 'means when the latter is idle.

said screen Wall and supporting the post and forming an operative coupling between the motor and said post, means for suspending articles to be dried on said post, means for driving air into the housing beneath the screen, means deflecting the driven air upwardly through the screen, an air outlet above the screen, reflectors extending vertically in the cabinet and directed toward said post, and heat and ultra-violet light ray producing units supported by and in front of said reflectors;

3. A drier structure of the character described, comprising a cabinet having one wall provided with a door opening, means for closing said opening, a horizontally disposed screen wall in the lower part of the cabinet, a post disposed vertically within the cabinet and having its lower end extending through an opening in said screen wall, an electric motor beneath said, screen wall, a speed reduction mechanism beheath said screen wall and supporting and forming an operative coupling between the motor and .said post, means for suspending articles to be dried on said post, reflectors. extending vertically in the cabinet and directed toward said post, heat and ultra-violet light ray producing units supported by and in front of said reflectors, air

I inlet means in the lower part of the cabinet,

within the cabinet-for effecting the rotation of said post, means facilitating the hanging on said post of articles to be dried, an elongated reflector body disposed vertically in the cabinet in and extending across each comer thereof, each reflector body having a longitudinally extending tongue at its upper end, the top wall of the cabinet having apertures therein, each of which has a reflector tongue extended therethrough for maintaining the reflector in position, the said corner reflectors being directed toward said post, and means carried by each reflector for mounting in front thereof a series of electrically operated ray producing units. I

5. In a drier structure of the character described, a cabinet having top, bottom, side, front and rear walls, said front wall having a door opening therein, doors closing said opening, a post disposed vertically within the cabinet and adapted for rotation upon its long axis, means within the cabinet for eflecting the rotation of said post, means facilitating the hanging on said post of articles to be dried, an elongated reflector body disposed vertically in the cabinet in and extending across each corner thereof, each reflector body having a longitudinally extending tongue at its upper end, the top wall of the cabinet having apertures therein, each of which has a reflector tongue extended therethrough for maintaining the reflector in position, the said corner reflectors being directed toward said post, means carried by each reflector for mounting in front thereof a series of electrically operated ray producing units, and means in the top and in the bottom of the cabinetfor mounting along the said front, back and side walls, a series of electrically operated ray producing units.

6. A drier of the character described, eomprising a cabinet having a wall provided with a'door opening, doors for closing said opening, a post mounted vertically within the cabinet and having a bearing connecting the upper end thereof with the top of the cabinet, a speed reduction gear mechanism in the bottom part of the cab inet beneath the post, an electric motor coupled with said mechanism. means coupling said mechanism with the lower end of the post whereby rotary motion may be transmitted from the motor to the post to turn the latter on its long ing a cabinet having a wall providedwith a door opening, doors for closing said opening, a post mounted vertically within the cabinet and having a bearing connecting the upper end thereof with the top of the cabinet, a speed reduction gear mechanism in the bottom part of the cabinet beneath the post, an electric motor coupled with said mechanism, means coupling said mechanism with the lower end of the post whereby rotary motion may be transmitted from the motor to the post to turn the latter on its long axis, said coupling means including a rotatable plat form, a Y pawl carried by the platform and a ratchet secured to the post and engaged by said pawl and rotatable concentrically with and'independently of the platform, said ratchet and pawlfaeilitating the turning of the post independently of the gear mechanism, heat and 111-,

tra-violet ray producing means within the cabinet and arranged to direct such rays toward the post, an air intake in the lower part and atone side of the cabinet, an air vent for the cabinet upon the side thereof opposite from the intake,

means at said air, intake for drawing air into the cabinet, and baflie means in the lower part of the cabinet in the path of movement of air drawn in through said intake and arranged to deflect indrawn air upwardly into the cabinet.

ELIWER 

